I Will Wait
by Kosaka
Summary: Sesshomaru and Kagome are given one last chance to get it together.Will they find hapiness, or is this destined to be a starcrossed love?final fic of the dreamweaver arc, though it can probably stand alone. Completed at long last!
1. Prologue: Falling Through Time

A/N: Well, I probably shouldn't be starting another fic when I've got so many going, but, you know, heh. I'll try to update once a month anyway. I know I'm sort of notorious for letting my stories fester, but I always finish them, that's something, right? Er, heh. Anyways this is the final fic of the Dreamweaver Arc (previously my unnamed Sess/Kag)

The stories in that arc are as follows:

1. Not that he Cared (due to weirdness in the way I formatted this one, readers and possibly readers get what appears to be a long span of text. If it's too much to handle, I've corrected the problem on my website, and you can read it there (just check my profile for the link).

2. Brothers After All

3. A Fragile Heart

4. I Will Wait (this story)

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

**_Prologue: Falling Through Time_**

Kagome squeaked, the demon hovering over her like a bad habit, and she wondered how it had ended up like this, or how a man had any business being so beautiful...

FIVE MONTHS EARLIER:

Kagome sat on the edge of the Bone Eater's Well. Inuyasha was being irrational again. She wasn't _just_ a convenient shard detector. She had midterms damnit!—_midterms_, and she needed to _study_. She sighed. Maybe he would never understand. She kicked her feet in aggravation. Stupid Inuyasha. Stupid stupid stupid!

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow from where he had been sitting up in the branches of the Goshinboku. 'What in the world is that idiot miko doing?' he wondered, leaping easily from the tree. "Woman, you'll fall," he stated, sneaking up behind her without realizing he was doing so. He sometimes forgot that humans didn't share a demon's superior senses. Even so, he couldn't have her falling to her death until _after_ he'd used her to acquire the tetsusaiga.

Startled, Kagome squeaked, tumbling forward. Sesshomaru reached out to grab her, she could die later, but his eyes widened when, in her panic, she accidentally grabbed his tail, making him let loose an uncivilized yelp at the pain as he tumbled forward with her. He expected a hard thud, but was caught by...something. It was like falling through water, and then it suddenly stopped and he was lying on the bottom of the well with his brother's miko sitting on his chest.

Kagome blinked, confused for a moment before leaping to her feet. "Sesshomaru?!??"

The youkai rose, dusting off his sleeve in that prim manner he had. 'Must she always yell?' he wondered. It seemed to the inuyoukai that women were always hollering about something.

Kagome glanced up. Ceiling. This was bad.

Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist and leapt out of the well.

Really bad.

He blinked, taking in unfamiliar surroundings. 'Where...is this?'

Really, really bad.

He stared coldly down at the teenager. "Explain," he said. "Now."

Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat. 'Mommy!'

_End of Prologue_

_----_

A/N: Well, I've let this arc fester for a while because I didn't know what to do for the final story, but I have a basic idea now, finally. For those of you who don't know, this is the final story of the "Dreamweaver" Arc, my Sess/Kag arc which began with the one-shot "Not That he Cared". If the stories are read out of sequence they probably won't make sense, so I will remind once again that the arc goes as follows: **1. Not that he Cared, 2. Brothers After All, 3. A Fragile Heart, and 4. I Will Wait **(this story).

I hope to write this story more quickly than the last, but who knows? I'm writing many things at the moment (as usual) and am involved in many other projects as well, so I will try to get a chapter up every month crosses fingers. And, of course, I took up drawing again, so that's something else to distract myself with. Heh.


	2. Chapter One: The Secret Lives of Cats

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

**Chapter One: The Secret Lives of Cats**

Kagome swallowed hard as Sesshomaru stared down at her. He was almost twice her size, in his smaller, non-dogish form, and she was feeling quite a bit smaller than usual in front of him. "Er..."

Sesshomaru was getting annoyed. Why couldn't the woman just say what was on her mind.

"I, uh, better take you, ba..." Kagome's fingers ghosted up to her neck and her eyes widened. "Oh my god! Where are they!" In a panic, she forgot Sesshomaru and started shaking her shirt, digging around, feeling around in her bra for the shards. She went to jump back down into the well to see if she dropped them in her haste to get off Sesshomaru but was caught by the youkai's strong arm...his one strong arm, to be precise. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks, pressed so tightly against a very obviously masculine figure. "I...I..." she sputtered.

"If you want to kill yourself, miko, do so _after_ you explain what is going on," he stated coolly.

"Shikon...the shards...the well..." she wasn't making any sense and she knew it. She took a deep breath. "Can you let go first?" she tried.

He did so, and she breathed again. "I have to check to see if the shikon shards are in the well," she exhaled.

He quirked an eyebrow only slightly before leaping gracefully over her. He glanced about the well, finding nothing, and leapt easily out again. The girl looked at him hopefully with big brown puppy eyes. He shook his head negatively, causing a chain reaction involving Kagome falling to her knees and wailing. "Oh nooo!!! How am I going to get you back to your own time _now_?!" she wailed. His own _time_? He would be convinced that she was out of her mind, if the situation wasn't this bizarre to begin with. Sesshomaru decided it would be more efficient to wait for the girl to stop throwing her fit before demanding answers again.

Finally, Kagome sighed. "Well, Inuyasha will show up when I'm late getting back, as usual. I guess you're stuck here until then." It was a lot to handle, but Kagome was good at coming to terms with things that she couldn't change. She gave Sesshomaru a sideways glace, as if she was testing his mood. "Well, come inside. I'll make some tea and explain," she sighed, her shoulders drooping dramatically as she exited the well house.

He followed, using years of training in the 'art of the stoic façade' when he stepped outside. There were _so many smells_ _and noises._ He unconsciously brought his hand to his ear. At least in this, the humans were lucky that their senses were dulled. It was so very loud. He was surprised by the relative silence when Kagome closed the door of her home on the outside world, and relieved, though he was careful to show neither on his stoic features.

"Uhm, this way," Kagome said uncomfortably. She was having trouble coming to terms with the fact that she was showing the demon lord of the Western Lands into her home, and that he'd probably be staying out the week. 'How am I going to explain this to my mother?' she wondered. It was in awkward silence that she turned on the stove to boil water for tea, with her back to him, and she paying little mind to his presence, or, more likely, hoping that when she turned around it was all a bad dream and he wasn't actually there, Sesshomaru's eyes were free to explore. He recognized almost nothing here. The girl had turned a knob that made a small flame sprout out of the countertop, which he assumed to be some strange miko magic. He paid little mind to the habits of priestesses, after all. And there was an odd silver snake that spit water into a basin when she turned a different knob. The table was unusually tall, with chairs around it, and there seemed to be many more cabinets and shelves than one could have any possible use for. There was a tall box in the corner that was humming. He eyed it carefully, but the woman didn't seem to view it as a threat, so he didn't attack...for now.

After only a few short moments she put a teacup in front of one of the chairs at the table and gestured him to sit. The chairs were of a strange design, but familiar to him and he saw no harm. Drinking tea standing would be impolite, or so he'd been taught, and like it or not, he was within the human's lair. With a curt nod, he sat at the table, watching carefully as she did the same across from him. "It's, very hot yet," she stated, biting her lip.

"You promised me an explanation, miko," he reminded her, letting his hand rest in his lap while the tea cooled.

"Uh...ah...you see..." she hesitated. 'He's gonna think I'm looney,' she thought. Not that she cared what Sesshomaru thought of her, but she had to keep him placated long enough to get him back through the well. Her mind was screaming, 'Inuyasha. Help!' Of course, the hanyou was too far away to hear her. She took a heavy breath. "This isn't your time, Sesshomaru. It's where I come from...er...that is...the future."

She wasn't sure what to make of the way he just stared at her for a long time. Finally, he dead-panned, "the future."

"H-hai."

He cocked his head to the side very slightly as he watched her for a long moment. She looked down at her tea, slightly flushed, and fidgeted under his intense and unreadable gaze. "So," he said finally, "You expect me to believe then, that you come to the time that I know by falling through that well, hunt the shikon shards with my idiot brother, and then return to the future to do whatever it is that you do here."

"Hai," the girl said quietly.

"You realize that is quite possibly the most ridiculous story I have ever heard."

"...hai," she said hesitantly.

"And yet, I suppose you'll insist that you aren't crazy."

Kagome got defensive now. "You have that toad..."

"Imp," he corrected.

"Whatever, you have that lunatic Jaken following you around and _I'm_ crazy?" she demanded.

He fought down the slight tweak his lips tried to reach for. The human was mildly amusing. He would give her that much at least.

"Relax, miko. Your story is too strange to be fiction," he stated blandly. "However, explain to me why we cannot simply jump back through to return."

"We need the shikon shards," she muttered.

Well, this wasn't good. He didn't have any, and she'd lost hers. 'Am I...stuck here?' he wondered, trying not to worry. Then he remembered that she had mentioned Inuyasha.

She continued. "But Inuyasha can come through the well. When I'm late coming back he'll come to get me, so then we can get you back to where you belong."

She was a peculiar woman, even for a human. He took a moment to consider what he had learned. No wonder the smells and sounds were so strange here. In terms of human dwellings it seemed much cleaner. In truth, it was much cleaner than most demon homes he'd been in as well.

The girl took another deep breath and sipped at her tea, cringing a bit. Still too hot. It was then that something rubbed against Sesshomaru's leg, and realizing almost instantly that it was a cat, he instinctively growled at the little monster.

Kagome yelped and pulled Buyo into her arms. She frowned at Sesshomaru. "Okay, if you're going to stay here for now we're going to have to set some ground rules. "First rule, don't you dare kill my cat!" she insisted, pouting.

Sesshomaru quirked one eyebrow at the woman elegantly. A human was telling him what to do? Now this was rich. "And if I do?" he asked, testing her.

"Then I'll...I'll..." she sputtered. What _would_ she do. "I'll yank on your tail again," she said, feeling petty, but knowing that it was really the only power she held over the demon.

He fought the little tweaking of his lips again. He was a guest here. There were certain rules of etiquette that applied. He couldn't kill the cat. The human was being hospitable enough to allow him to stay in her home for the time being, whether it was forced hospitality or otherwise. "I shall not kill your feline," he conceded. "Even if he deserves it."

"Or my family," she added on second thought. "Even if Sota is a pain, no killing my little brother. That's my job." Unlike Sesshomaru, Kagome was only joking about killing her younger brother, but he could still respect that. After all, he wouldn't allow anyone to kill Inuyasha but him either.

He gave a slight nod, holding back his amusement at the human's paranoia.

"And for god's sake don't leave the house," she pleaded. "Things are very different now. You'll stick out way too much."

He quirked an eyebrow at this. "Explain," he told her.

She shifted. "Well, in my time..." she hesitated. "There aren't any demons anymore, Sesshomaru."

He was unable to hold the shock out of his eyes. "Impossible," he stated.

"It's true," she said. "Either they're not here, or they're all hiding."

"Demons _do not_ hide," he demanded.

Kagome hesitated, a little pout on her lips as she daringly locked his eyes. "I know," she stated, and the words were heavy with meaning.

'My kind...gone...impossible. I refuse to believe it,' he thought.

"Please just stay inside," she begged. "I'll have you home in a few days, I hope."

Sesshomaru nodded vaguely, not really even aware of what he was nodding at. He would investigate this. There must be demons in this future world, there just _must_. "How many years?" he asked.

"Huh?" Kagome blinked, putting the cat down and shooing him into the other room.

"Between my time and this one, how much time has passed?" he asked again.

"Oh. Uhm...about five hundred years, I guess." She noticed the slight strain beside his eyes, just the vaguest change in his expression. "You should drink your tea," she said gently. "Before it gets cold."

"...hai," he muttered, lifting the cooling beverage to his lips as she went to the sink to wash her cup and put it in the dish drain.

Kagome sighed to herself. How was she _ever_ going to explain this to her mother? "Oh," she said as she remembered. "My grandfather, he...thinks he's a big bad priest, and might try to cast a charm on you or something. Please just ignore him. He's harmless."

He didn't reply. There was no need to.

"Miko."

Kagome sighed. Miko, again. It beat the hell out of 'wench' which is the word Inuyasha had always preferred, but she still didn't like it. "Kagome," she corrected. "It's my name, so use it. I don't go around calling you "demon", do I?"

She had a point. She was being courteous enough to be polite even though she knew he was an enemy under normal circumstances. He ought to do the same. "Ka-go-me," he said slowly, unfamiliar with the combination of syllables.

"Hai," she answered.

He forgot what he was going to say a moment ago, having been distracted by the woman. "Thank you," he said instead, a slight hesitation then. "For the tea."

He got up and brought the cup over to her. Kagome's eyes widened in shock. 'Sesshomaru just said...thank you?!' She couldn't believe it. In truth, neither could he. He just didn't want to look like a fool for having forgotten so easily what was on his mind.

"I guess, that I should show you around the house," she said finally. "There were a lot of things that were strange to Inuyasha. I'll explain what everything is, since you're going to need to amuse yourself while you're here."

Sesshomaru gave a curt nod as the girl almost turned dead into his chest before deciding to turn in the other direction. One close encounter was enough for the day, thank you very much. He pointed at the humming box in the corner. "Begin with that," he stated. He'd figured out what most everything else in this room did from watching the human.

Kagome blinked, followed the long line of his arm to the refrigerator, and laughed. She clapped her hand over her mouth, covering it too late. She waved her hand a bit. "Sorry, sorry," she said, but she didn't sound sorry at all, and he frowned slightly at her. He didn't like feeling like a fool. "That's called a refrigerator," she gestured for him to follow and opened the door, pulling out a plate of leftovers. "See, it keeps food cold so it doesn't spoil as quickly."

Closing that and opening the top. "And this part is the freezer, it keeps food frozen and makes ice." She pulled out an ice tray and pulled out a small chunk of ice, not sure what came over her as she pressed it to his lips. He pulled back. That was _cold!_ "It's not poison, Sesshomaru, just frozen water," she teased slightly. She didn't know why, but when he was asking questions he wasn't half as intimidating.

He nodded and grabbed her wrist with the ice cube bringing it back to wear it was and tentatively licking at the cube. Kagome blushed, not sure why. Of course he wasn't going to use his own hand to hold it, it was cold. "A-ano, Sesshomaru...my fingers are getting numb," she stumbled over the words.

He let go and stepped back. 'What was I just doing?' he wondered, giving the girl a curt nod that said he was done, his curiosity satisfied. She dropped the cube in the sink and ran her numb fingers under some warm water before drying them and throwing the paper towel away. "The garbage can is here," she said quietly.

Sesshomaru watched her thoughtfully as she led him into the living room. With her back turned, his hand ghosted up to chilled lips, touching them for a moment. 'How strange,' he thought, trying to decide if strange, also, was good.

As he entered the living room, the cat was there again rubbing up against his leg. He glared at it, but held back the snarl that wanted to escape his throat. It was like the damn feline was doing this on purpose because it knew that he disliked it. He glanced to make sure Kagome wasn't watching and glad to find she wasn't, gave the cat a very slight 'go away' kick. 'Damn feline,' he thought irritably, eyes widening when Kagome pressed a button that brought all these little people onto this box. They weren't there, but he could see them, hear them. Not touch or smell but... "What in the world is _that_?" he demanded.

Kagome chuckled at the way his eyes widened a bit and his mouth fell slightly open. It was cute. 'So you _can_ be surprised, she thought, then chastised herself for thinking that anything about Sesshomaru was even remotely cute. "It's called a television." she answered. "Sit down. I'll explain."

---

End Chapter One

A/N: Well, I never thought I'd end up writing one of those 'fall through the well into the future and get to know all the interesting gizmos of our time' fics, but heh, it does seem that Sesshomaru has a lot to learn right now. Well, we'll see where it all goes. Hope to write more soon! TTFN.

Banshee Puppet


	3. Chapter Two: Somewhere in this Time

_A/N: --text-- is a flashback. Since I don't do flashbacks really, I figured I'd make note of it, though it's probably obvious anyway._

_Aarolye: well, it's close to a direct sequel. This story starts only about maybe two weeks after the epilogue of AFH._

_Mars: hah. Well you won't get to hear about sleeping arrangements in this chapter, but you may be amused anyway! _

_Here's another chapter. Yay._

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

_Chapter Two: Somewhere in this Time_

Well, frankly, Sesshomaru didn't get it. "So then, it is similar to a moving picture book?" he stated blandly.

"Yeah, I guess it's something like that," the girl replied.

"Picture books are for children and fools," he stated authoritatively. "Do people no longer read in your time?" It was more a demand than a question.

Kagome smirked and pointed to the bookshelf to her left with a thumb. "Some of us do," she answered. "But I still like a good movie from time to time."

"What is this _movie_?"

"It's...like a play performed for the television."

He quirked an eyebrow slightly. Now plays were interesting. He liked them, though he wouldn't straight out say so.

Kagome smiled slightly, humoring him. Safest way to keep the youkai out of trouble was to keep him entertained. "We'll watch one after dinner. Upstairs. I'll show you the wonders of indoor plumbing."

"Why would anyone want a plum tree indoors?" he blanketed. He was downright inquisitive when he wanted to be.

Kagome was trying not to laugh. He noticed and his brow furrowed with a deep frown. 'She is gaining amusement at my expense,' he thought.

"Not that kind of plum," Kagome said finally, grinning up at him. She couldn't help it. He was being so civilized...for once. It was nice. 'You know, when you're not trying to murder Inuyasha, you're a decent guy, Sesshomaru,' she thought, though she wasn't stupid enough to say so aloud.

It was at that moment, poised on the stairs, that the front door slammed. "Aaaannneeessaaannnn!" Souta called.

Sesshomaru felt like his ears were bleeding.

"Gah! Souta, what did I tell you about slamming that door!" Kagome hollered back and started toward said door. "I'm sorry, just stay there a second while I deal with the pipsqueak."

He watched as she stood with her hands on hips, staring down at the young boy. His eyes saddened slightly. He remembered when Inuyasha was that young, back before everything went to hell, back when they were brothers and that was all.

--"Do it again, Inuyasha."

"This is too difficult!" the hanyou complained, throwing the sword to the ground. "Why can't I just use my claws? Oy, dad..."

His father walked off then. "You teach him, Sesshomaru," he said. "The honor and responsibility of swordsmanship. I know that you, at least, understand."

"Yes father."

"You're not really gonna make me, are you, aniki?" Inuyasha had asked with a pout.

"Attack me," Sesshomaru said. "I'll show you why it's better to know how to use this sort of weapon. I won't be able to protect you forever, otooto."

"I can protect myself!" Inuyasha had protested.

"Really?" Sesshomaru held the sword out to the boy then. "Prove it."--

He was snapped out of his thoughts to find that damnable cat rubbing against his leg again. The boy was standing directly in front of him. "Who're you?" he asked blatantly, taking no care for manners.

Kagome panicked a bit. "Souta, don't be so rude. Sesshomaru is a guest," she insisted. "Where're mom and grandpa?"

"Mom said to ask you to start dinner. Grandpa's check-up is running late again."

Kagome sighed. "You mean he's flirting with the nurses again."

Souta nodded.

She looked between brother and guest, shifting her weight thoughtfully. "Souta, please show Sesshomaru the upstairs and explain the bathroom like you did with Inuyasha." She remembered the water all over the floor after Souta had explained bathrooms to Inuyasha, and added on second thought, "and don't make a mess!" before heading toward the kitchen.

Souta stuck his tongue out at his sister's back. "Inuyahsa made the mess, not me," he told Sesshomaru conspiratorially.

"I am not the least bit surprised," Sesshomaru stated dryly.

"You know Inuyasha?" Souta said in his usual hero-worship tone.

"Aa," Sesshomaru answered brusquely. "He is my younger brother."

Souta's eyes lit up. "Wow! Really? You must be really strong then! Cool!"

Sesshomaru's male pride puffed a bit at this. "That's Kagome's room," Souta stated, waving blandly at the wooden door. And this is mamma's room," he pointed across the hall from Kagome's. "And Grandpa's, and mine." He opened the door to his room and started rambling something about a device called a "Yugi Hoe" which Sesshomaru could only assume to be some variety of farming implement.

Now the boy led Sesshomaru to the end of the hall. "This is the bathroom," he said. "It's where you relieve yourself and bathe."

Sesshomaru blinked slightly. 'In the same place? That's disgusting.' The strange thing about this 'bathroom' was that it didn't smell like waste material. It smelled quite a bit like peach blossoms, actually.

"Okay," Souta began. "Sink."

Sesshomaru recognized this as similar to the kitchen, "for washing your hands. This is the soap dispenser, so you do this and scrub, and rinse like this. This is cold water, this is hot water..."

---

Kagome was glad to be cooking. It took her mind off of the sadistic demon she was trusting to not murder her brother. She chopped the vegetables carefully and began simmering the sauce.

"Kagome."

"In the kitchen, mamma!" She wondered how she was going to break the news about her guest to the woman, but hoped she took it as well as she usually took things.

---

The "toilet" was an amazing invention, but Souta's explanation about "spewage bumps" and underground tunnels proved inadequate for the youkai's understanding. And then the boy decided to explain the shower. He wasn't paying attention when Sesshomaru leaned halfway over the tub to see what he was doing and pulled up the nozel, soaking the demon from the shoulders up. Sesshomaru startled and tripped on the throw rug in his attempt to escape, landing with a resounding _thud_ on the tile floor.

"Ohmygod! I'm sorry Sesshou-san!" Souta said quickly, turning off the water.

'Sesshou-san?' the youkai blinked and pushed himself upright, his hair a mess of wet tangles and his wrist—ow—already beginning to swell.

---

Kagome heard a loud thud and knew that it could only be one thing. "Oh no! Sesshomaru!" she squeaked, bolting for the stairs and careless of the knife still in hand. She barged through the bathroom door to find the youkai still looking a bit puzzled over what had just happened. Her grandfather and mother weren't far behind.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Higurashi said, remembering a similar situation with another white-haired young man.

Sesshomaru eyed the knife in Kagome's hand and frowned at her. "Did I not promise not to kill him?" He glared at Souta and added dryly, "even if he may deserve it."

Souta took a few steps back away from the youkai. "Sorry?" he squeaked agai.

"Oh, heh, sorry," Kagome said, giving the knife to her mother and wiping her hands in the lap of the apron she was wearing. From the looks of things, she could imagine what had happened. Sighing, she helped Sesshomaru to his feet.

"Mamma..." she started to ask.

"Grandpa, please find something dry for him while I finish dinner," the woman said evenly. "Kagome, explain over dinner."

"Yes mamma," the girl replied, taking the towel Souta offered her. The boy already knew it was his job to clean up the mess in the bathroom...again.

Before the youkai really knew what was happening, he found himself seated on Kagome's bed with a fluffy towel ruffling through his hair. Everything in this house just happened so quickly. Kagome put the towel aside and, blushing slightly, said, "you should take off your wet shirt before you get sick. My grandfather will bring in something for you to wear soon."

The demon gave a bland nod, reaching for the latch of his breastplate, and ill-concealed a wince. The miko stopped him then, taking the hand and inspecting the damages. "You should have told me," she scolded, resting it gently beside him on the soft bed and undoing the latches for him.

"Grandpa bring some ice and the first aid kit too!" she called over her shoulder before going back to what she was doing. She put her "mom brain" on, or tried to. She wasn't undressing a man from the waist up, she was caring for the injured, and she wasn't looking at a man's bare chest, she was...looking at the stump that had once been the man's **_left_** arm. Thoughtlessly, she touched this, a deep sadness entering her eyes. A long silence stretched out between them. "Kagome," Sesshomaru stated finally.

She pulled her hand quickly away. "Sorry," she whispered, putting the towel and his wet shirt in the hamper and pulling a brush off the dresser before kneeling beside him on the bed and getting to work on his tangled hair. It felt amazingly good. No one had brushed his hair for him since he was a small boy. His eyes fell closed on instinct, but snapped open again at the sound of her voice.

"Will it grow back?" she asked. She knew that some youkai had that kind of regenerative ability.

"In your time, does a dog's limb grow back once it is lost?" he asked statically.

"No," she answered numbly.

Unseen by her eyes, a slightly bitter smile tweaked the youkai's lips. "It is so with my time as well. Perhaps not as much has changed over these many years as it would at first appear."

"Hn," Kagome answered, returning to the task of brushing his silken hair. "If that's the case, maybe you're still out there, Sesshomaru, somewhere in this time."

"Che," he scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. _Maybe_ is an extraneous word."

Kagome chuckled silently. Sesshomaru knew she was laughing because he could feel the bed moving with her mirth. It was quite nice, actually—comfortable, though he'd never admit it to anyone else. There was a strange, familiar, magic in the silence for a long moment as she pulled the brush gently through his hair, like they'd done something like this before. He fought the urge to wrap his tail around the human, trying to remind himself that she was, in fact, all-too-human. It wasn't that he hated humans, he just hated the idea of demons and humans interacting with one another on more than the level of 'strictly business'. If someone had told him, once, in a strange and twisted dream, the two of them were in love, he would have scoffed at the idea. Humans and demons should never fall in love. His mind flashed on his younger brother as he thought, 'that sort of loving only bring suffering and pain to all those involved.' It was a miserable affair that he wanted no part of, not again.

Again, his eyes fell closed as he remembered meeting his father's second wife for the first time. It had been seven years since his own mother died, and he only half-remembered her. He didn't understand why his father would want to wed a human. 'She's going to die before you, and then you'll be alone again,' he thought. But he had heard his father on their wedding day tell the human, 'let us enjoy as much time as we have together.' He'd known it wouldn't last, that it was entirely temporary. 'How can a person allow themselves to fall in love under those circumstances.

His breathing was soft, his head tilted back very slightly, his lips parted a bit. He didn't realize that his usual tense posture had vanished, lost in ancient memories, and Kagome had to catch her breath at what a beautiful sight he was like this. She ran her fingers through his bangs. 'What are you hiding from?' she wondered. It was then that the pair heard footsteps and both sat bolt upright, Kagome clutching the hairbrush for dear life, as her grandfather entered.

He held up the armful of clothing. "These should just about fit you," he said. "Some of my son's old things. Not quite fashionable anymore, but at least they're dry."

Kagome wondered why he was being so nice. 'He must not realize Sesshomaru is a demon yet,' she thought.

"... ...arigato," Sesshomaru said politely, forcing the word through his lips.

"Kagome, why don't you help your mother set the table. I'll teach your friend about the 'new-fangled' clothing of the era," he joked badly.

"Hai," Kagome answered, glad to get out of close proximity to the beautiful, yet extremely dangerous demon. She had to keep reminding herself of the last part. She didn't know why he seemed different in her time, he was still the same person, but...well, she didn't know, precisely. For now, she just needed to get away from him before she forgot that dangerous thing altogether.

Sesshomaru watched the girl go thoughtfully. 'Something so familiar...' he mused before his attention was dragged back to the old man. "Ooo...you've got a nice sprain here. Well, we'd better get to work before they start eating without us!" the old man grinned at the youkai. Then hearing the silence of the hall, he leveled a serious stare on Sesshomaru and said, "what exactly is your relationship with my cute little granddaughter?"

Sesshomaru blinked. "Nani?"

---

A/N: it dawns on me as I write this that this story will probably be able to stand on it's own with minimal confusion as it's not really related too much to the other stories in the arc. Well, we'll see. I just want a nice, happy wrap-up on the arc, but if it can stand on its own in the end too, all the better! Cheers. Will try to write more soon, B.P.


	4. Author's Notation

A/N: _This isn't a chapter, though one will be coming as soon as I'm done with this notation_. It seems that there's been a bit of confusion about the time placement of this story in the arc as a whole. I'd like to apologize for that and take a moment to explain.

You see, when you're hopping between the past and the future and, as in the previous story, dream and reality, trying to retain a firm grip on timeline will only drive you crazy.

However, for those of you who will not be able to enjoy the story without some sense of time, I will offer the following information (**those of you who have not read a fragile heart, but intend to, be warned, there are spoilers for that story in the following**):

'A Fragile Heart', the story that precedes this one, took place in a 'dream future'. The vast majority of what happened there was not real in the physical sense, but the result of a dream that a sorcerer trapped the characters inside of.

At the end of that story, Kagome uses the Shikon Jewel to return things to the way they were intended to be, so the epilogue brings us back to near the beginning of the tv series and the original Inuyasha timeline, rewinding past all that has come to pass in every previous story in this arc, including the original, 'Not that He Cared' that started it all. In other words, her wish brought us back to the original beginning of the story, shortly after Kagome first fell through the well and they began collecting shards of the Shikon Jewel. But at the same time, there is a lingering echo of the previous stories or "things that could have been, and that, should the story unravel in a certain way, may yet come to pass. That makes the previous stories both the past (in the sense that it has already occurred in the arc) and the future (as time has been rewound to before these things happened, giving the characters a chance at a better future).

It is in that sort of flip-flopped timeline that we enter "I Will Wait".

I say you can assume the new story to begin approximately two weeks after the wish made on the Shikon no Tama, but as you can see, the story begins "five months earlier"—this is 5 months before the immediately preceding lines, not in any way related to "A Fragile Heart", as I have stated that this story will, most likely be able to stand on its own, so I have no reason to make a connection back to the previous tale other than to explain where this fits in relation to it for those of you who have read the other three stories.

The story's opening lines are "the future"—a bit of foreshadowing on my part that is completely lacking in any subtlety. You will see these lines again later in "I Will Wait", consider them a simple glimpse of things to come and nothing more. Forget the timelines of the previous stories, as "A Fragile Heart" rewound time beyond them. That is not to say that they never happened, but they now exist as little more than a lingering sense of deja-vu as the characters are given one last chance to get it right without the tragedy of the previous stories. Those of you who read 'A Fragile Heart' will likely remember that, prior to the epilogue of that story, pretty much everyone dies. This is their last valiant attempt at creating a love story without tragedy, so in that sense, it exists as a timeline separate from the rest of the arc, though the stories are all connected. After all, in the original timeline, practically everyone has died. Not much story to tell there. The epilogue of "A Fragile Heart" began a new timeline that "I Will Wait" takes place in. But, again, if you _must_ have a cohesive timeline, assume that the action of this story (excluding the foreshadowing at the beginning) starts about two weeks after the wish was made on the shikon jewel and time was rewound, though for obvious reasons I am hesitant to nail it down like that.

I hope this clarifies any questions that were out there about this story, and also it probably clarifies any lingering questions about the previous story as well. I apologize for any confusion that a complex storyline has caused, but when constantly hopping from one time to another, it is easy to get lost. For me, that's part of the fun. I think the characters, also, would be confused if they remembered everything. Lucky for them that they can forget things the reader can't. Well, like I said, I hope this clarifies any confusion and doesn't just make it worse. I will have the next chapter up as soon as I finish typing it.

Banshee Puppet


	5. Chapter Three: Movie Night

A/N: In the previous chapter, I noticed as I reread it (and cringed at all those typos…) I wrote that Sesshomaru's missing arm was his left…in bold italics…this was for my benefit so I could check and go back to fix it if I was wrong, and I forgot I intended to check on it…heh. I believe it's his left arm, but am not 100 positive, so for the purpose of this story I'll stick with left. If I'm wrong and someone wants to correct me for future reference, I would not be opposed to hearing such.

**I Will Wait**

**Chapter Three: Movie Night**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

"What exactly is your relationship with my cute little granddaughter?"

Sesshomaru blinked. "Nani?" He must not have heard that right. Impossible. Didn't this man know who he was? He was Sesshomaru-sama of the Western Lands! 'Five hundred years ago,' he reminded himself. He still had trouble getting his mind around just how much hadchanged. And as the question sunk in, so did this tiny little vein in his forehead bulge and his eyes take on a reddish tint. "Are you implying that I would _rut_ with a _human_?" he demanded, reminding himself 'won't kill him, won't kill him, won't…' He was a guest in the man's home, after all. He had _some_ manners.

"Are you implying that my granddaughter isn't good enough for you?!" Jiichan demanded, going from angry that the white-haired 'young man' was being presumptuous to being angry that he wasn't being presumptuous enough.

---

Downstairs, the rest of the family heard a loudly announced "Demon Begone!" and a resounding crash.

Kagome rushed to the source of the sound, expecting the worst and finding her grandfather lying in a dazed heap at the base of the stairs as Sesshomaru exited the bedroom, disinterestedly peeling a sticky little spell scroll from his forehead. 'Banish Evil' the arthritic kanji read.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome protested as he frowned at the parchment. 'I am not evil,' he thought, then glancing up at the miko as he strolled down the stairs. "I did not do it," he informed her blandly, dropping the spell scroll on her grandfather's chest as he walked past the prone old man.

Kagome cocked her head to the side as if she was deciding whether or not to believe him when her mother, helping the old man back onto his feet, asked, " What _did_ happen then, Sesshomaru?"

"He was insulted that I am not rutting with your daughter, hollered, slapped parchment on my head and ran from the room. I presume he tripped over his own feet."

Mrs. Higurashi chuckled. Kagome _tried _not to chuckle, honest, she tried… Souta just outright laughed. "Just like our jiichan," Mrs. Higurashi said. "Let's go eat dinner."

---

Sesshomaru stared at his plate and the chopsticks. Not that he _needed_ to eat, but it looked good, and it smelled really good… only one problem—how was he supposed to manipulate the chopsticks with his injured hand?

"You're not going to eat?" Kagome asked.

"I do not need human food," he stated flatly.

Kagome watched him for a moment before stating, "you can't use the chopsticks," rather knowingly. She was teasing him and his overindulged ego.

He didn't answer, and frowned at her when she covered her mouth with her hand to ill-conceal a giggle. He was stuck in the future, injured, the miko's grandfather was glaring at him and ineffectively warding the entire house against evil. 'I am _not_ evil,' Sesshomaru thought bitterly.

"Okay, say aaah," Kagome chirped.

He looked at her, chopsticks at ready, and realizing what she had in mind, he said, "I most certainly will not."

"Oh don't be such a big baby. It's not going to damage your pride to accept a little help from time to time."

Sesshomaru stared at her for a long moment as she leaned on her elbow, smirking. She knew he wanted to eat, damn her.

Grudgingly, he opened his mouth. He felt completely humiliated until he realized how good the food was. His eyes widened marginally. Kagome didn't fail to notice, but kept her mouth shut. Instead, she scooped up a bit more. The meal passed in silence until he shook his head.

"Had enough?" she asked.

Sesshomaru nodded, keeping his eyes on the table. He felt foolish. "Yes," he answered after a pause. "… … thank you."

The words always seemed so awkward and unpracticed coming from him and he felt just as awkward saying them, but Kagome was a miko, not one of his servants, and she was being quite hospitable in spite of the fact that they were enemies…and her family, with the exception of the objectionable jiichan, was nice…she deserved at least some show of respect, all things considered.

He sat quietly as Kagome helped her mother clear the table and dried the dishes. Souta had gone upstairs to his room and jiichan and finally finished his "warding" and been instructed to "go lay down" before he hurt himself again. Now if only he could be rid of the blasted feline, Sesshomaru could enjoy the peace and quiet that had settled over the house. Such a homey feeling, one he hadn't experienced since his youth. For the first time in many years, quite in spite of everything, Sesshomaru felt at peace.

Kagome dried her hands and walked over to him. "You're a lot easier to please than Inuyasha," she said lightly, then realized it was a name she probably shouldn't have used. "Uh, that is, I…I mean…"

"Unlike my idiot brother," Sesshomaru said, "I was raised to have some semblance of manners." They let the subject drop there.

There was an awkward pause.

"Right, well, I think I promised you a movie," Kagome said finally. Let's go into the living room. Just make yourself comfortable while I pick something.

Sesshomaru watched from the couch as she shifted her weight and chewed her lower lip. He found himself noticing the way her hair fell down her back and around strong shoulders—soft and feminine, but strong. The way she pulled back a bowstring was proof enough of that. He turned his head to the blank television screen. When had he noticed her bow technique—peculiar.

'What sort of movie would Sesshomaru like?' Kagome wondered. Comedy? No, he never laughed. And something she wouldn't have to explain much—but maybe action—or something intellectual—he seemed smart—uhm… This was difficult. In the end, she closed her eyes and pulled out the first thing her fingers rested on. She blinked at it and shrugged. Neverending Story. She could relate to this one a little—getting stuck in another reality was sort of her specialty these days.

She slipped it into the DVD player and curled up on the end of the couch opposite Sesshomaru, who would appear to be transfixed until he saw some of the more fantastic characters and asked if they were demons.

Kagome just smiled slightly and yawned. "I guess they're something like that," she answered, at which he nodded as if saying 'I knew it!' and returned his attention to the screen.

When the movie ended, his lip tweaked slightly. That _had_ been quite enjoyable, he had to admit. He turned to Kagome to find her asleep, hair in her eyes, even breathing as her chest rose and fell gently, lips moist and slightly parted as if begging to be kissed. His mind shut off as he leaned forward, noses only inches apart. He brushed her hair from her eyes thoughtlessly, about to lean in when they fluttered open.

She looked quite surprised, and he also…

'What was I just about to do?!' his mind demanded of him. He refused to admit the answer. "I…do not know how to turn it off," he said, nodding at the television and sitting back, telling himself his lapse of judgment was entirely the fault of the television infecting his brain.

"Ah, right," Kagome said, looking quite confused, having just woken up from an accidental nap to find a youkai's face a mere breath away from her own. "…did you like it?" she asked, putting the DVD away.

"What?" he felt suddenly defensive after being distracted from thoughts of the human woman's lips.

"The movie…"

"Ah. Of course, yes. It was mildly interesting."

'His way of saying "it rocked",' Kagome thought to herself with an inward chuckle as she set a pillow at one end of the couch and brought a blanket over for him. "Well, sleep well then, I guess. Come get me if you need anything."

Sesshomaru gave a curt nod. 'Stupid woman! Don't say that to someone who almost took advantage of you in your sleep!' he thought, distressed by the entire affair.

He listened as she made her way upstairs and closed the door. Now he was alone in the dark room, pensive and thoughtful. 'What sort of spell has this place cast on me?' he wondered. 'My heart is racing.'

--End Chapter Three--

I'd like to thank my reviewers, though I don't have a list of you on hand right now. Aarolye, I hope the an preceding this chapter cleared up your confusion. Hope to write more soon.

B.P.


	6. Chapter Four: Desire

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers once again! Glad you're enjoying it…and glad I'm so far not making you wait aeons for new chapters…

Aarolye: Hah, you've got a point. I am a little infamous for cliffhangers, aren't I? heh.

Thanks also to marsgoddess, AleeraloverofInuyasha, and Ryukotsusei for your reviews. They always make me feel all warm and fuzzy, and not in that nausea way.

And, on with the story!

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

**Chapter Four: Desire**

What was the human doing now? He peered over Kagome's shoulder. She was writing down strange patterns of numbers, scribbling them out, and then writing more numbers. Curious.

When Kagome noticed him hovering, she jumped slightly. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" she complained, raking her fingers through her hair.

"You are easily distracted," he stated authoritatively, moving to her bed and folding his legs Indian style there. "What are you doing now?"

"I told you I was studying, didn't I?" Honestly. Demons.

"Before you were looking at strange characters. Now you are writing numbers. These are both 'studying'?"

"That was studying English. This is studying Math," Kagome explained with a sigh. She was trying to be patient, really.

"Why do you study so many things?"

"I have to, for school," Kagome sighed again. Sesshomaru was bored. And that meant she wouldn't be able to study until she found some way of keeping him busy.

"Why is this 'school' so important?"

"It teaches you things you need to know to survive in this world. Weren't you reading a book?"

"I've finished it," he replied.

So _that_ was it. "Well, what sort of thing do you want to read now?" Anything to keep him busy so she could study and survive her midterms.

Sesshomaru thought about this. He wanted to understand this 'school' thing that the miko was so obsessed with. He pointed at a textbook she'd been reading before. "That one," he stated definitively.

Kagome blinked. "You want to read my history textbook?"

"Hai."

Kagome blinked some more, then shrugged and brought it over to him. "Now more quiet so I can finish studying, please," she said, seating herself at her desk again.

Sesshomaru gingerly flipped the heavy cover back. His hand was still swollen and tender, much to his disapproval. He was trying to be as little trouble as possible, but he was curious about this supposedly demon-less world and wanted to learn more. And also, more about…he glanced up at Kagome. Why was she suddenly so interesting to him? He didn't know. It felt like there was something important about her that he just couldn't place. He turned his attention back to the book before him. History, was it? But for him, none of this had happened yet…

Kagome yawned. That was enough studying for now. Tomorrow she'd have to go to school and start taking her exams. She glanced at the clock. She'd missed lunch and it was well-past dinnertime. 'I guess I can order some take-out, though it would be nice to get outside for a bit.' She looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru. His mouth was slightly open, head lulled back against his tail, and he was sleeping peacefully. He looked so…so…

'Kawaii!' she thought, much against her better judgment. She shook her head slightly. 'I'd better wake him,' she thought, crawling carefully up onto the bed so as not to startle him too much. Startle Sesshomaruinstant death—at least that's how Kagome's mind worked. But she caught herself staring at him—beautiful and strong, and deadly. She touched his face and his eyes shot suddenly open. She jumped and nearly fell off of the bed.

On instinct, he wrapped his tail around her to catch her before he was even fully conscious. Wrapped in such warm, close quarters, Kagome blushed. Something about this felt really—intimate. And what was wit the way he was looking at her?

His heart—again he found it suddenly pounding. Again the miko's lips looked far too inviting, and he didn't have the television to blame this time.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

"What is it?" he asked, not quite able to will his tail away from her just yet.

Kagome's own heart was beating out a similar pattern. "I…was going to wake you for dinner," the miko squeaked.

The words took long moments to register in Sesshomaru's mind. He found himself inexplicably drawn to her, wanting to touch her so badly, to kiss her, to keep her for his own…

When he let her go it was sudden. "Of course," he stated. "You have finished with your studying?"

"Uh…yeah, for today." Kagome thought a moment. It was late Sunday. She probably wouldn't run into anyone. "I'll get you a jacket and we can go out to eat. I'm too tired to cook."

Sesshomaru gave a bland nod and waited for her to leave before sinking visibly. His shoulders slouched and he brushed his fingers through his hair roughly. 'After all I have tried to avoid it,' he thought darkly, 'after all is said and done, I am my father's son. A human—she is so very human, and yet, I desire her.'

Knowing this he all but held his breath as Kagome helped him into a jacket. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that he didn't need one. Not knowing what was wrong with him was much better than knowing he was falling for a human. Now he was being extra-cautious. If there was a situation that caused you to like someone, there also, must be the opposite. He hoped that was true. Then he still had a chance to get out of this.

Of course, outwardly, he was as stoic and chilly as always. Thank god for that. If Kagome knew…well, he didn't know what would happen if it came to that.

"Stay near me," she insisted. "So you don't get lost. There are a lot more people in my time than in the time you come from."

She decided to take him somewhere that strange things were not unusual and no one was likely to look at him oddly—Shinjuku. There were some nice cafes there, and on second thought, she knew of a small, rarely frequented diner. She kept a light grip on the sleeve of his jacket getting on the train.

So many people and different scents! His head hurt. "Kagome.." he started to say. 'How much longer do I have to stay on this contraption! I'm going to be sick!' his mind demanded of him.

"Almost there," she said. She understood. Inuyasha didn't like trains either. "Okay, hang on, time to get off."

With a swarm of humans. Too much was going on. This had to be a lot even for dulled, human senses. There was no way a demon could get through this day after day, he realized. It was impossible. This was too much. He could hardly fathom what was going on until she turned down a side street that was virtually empty save themselves and a few others.

"We'll go somewhere quiet to eat," Kagome said.

"Thank heavens," Sesshomaru sighed before he realized he'd said it aloud.

"Gomen," Kagome replied. "The train is always like that during the day. The ride home should be a bit better I hope."

Sesshomaru silently looked at the pavement. He was embarrassed by his own exclamation and trying not to show it.

"Sesshomaru…"

"Day after day—so many people," he said. "How could a demon survive in this?" He had to get it out. It troubled him more than he could possibly explain. The nose, the scents. It would take an act of sheer will for a demon to live in this world.

"Sorry. I didn't think…" Kagome blushed. 'Stupid!' she scolded herself. She should have ordered in. Of course this would overwhelm him all at once like this.

He shook his head. "Never mind. I think I understand better now."

The subject dropped there as she brought him inside the diner. "Table for two please," she said.

When the waiter turned, Kagome blinked. Oh, for crying out loud! "Hojou?"

"Kagome! How are you? Did the bath salts help your rheumatism?"

Kagome sweat-dropped. "Ah yeah…you work here?"

"Only on the weekends," …and then he noticed Sesshomaru, glaring at him like a very creepy, very jealous boyfriend. "Oh, right, table…" Hojou visibly deflated and led them over. "My shift is nearly over. Someone will be with you in a minute though, okay? Ah, see you in school, Kagome."

When Hojou left, Sesshomaru stated rather frankly. "He wishes you for a mate."

Kagome blushed deeply. "Don't say it like that! It sounds perverse!" she protested.

"It is simply the truth. That human desires you."

Kagome continued to blush, but sighed. "It's not much of a secret," she said as if she was congratulating him for stating the obvious.

Sesshomaru concealed his relief that the feeling didn't appear to be mutual. He couldn't help it. Even if he had no intention of pursuing feelings for the human, he didn't want anyone else to have her either. "You do not share his feelings," he stated, more to fill the silence than anything else. Again—that talent for stating the obvious.

"Hojou is a nice guy, but I guess he's not my type." She couldn't believe she was talking about this with Sesshomaru.

"Why not?" and Sesshomaru couldn't believe he was prying.

Kagome considered this. "It's sort of…how can I have a boyfriend when I always have to go to your time to collect the jewel shards? I don't fit into either time anymore, so I guess I'll just be in this situation until we've beat Naraku. Then maybe I can live a normal life again."

"In this time."

"It's my home," she shrugged. "But it's stupid to think about it now. There's still a long way to go."

The meal passed quietly after that. Nothing more could be said on the subject anyway. 'In this world, she is all alone,' Sesshomaru reflected. How could a mere human have such strength? 'Well, she is a miko, after all,' he thought. A human, but in such a situation, 'who is better suited for her than I am, who can wait for her to be born again and return to me.' He forced that line of thinking right out of his head. If he humored this infatuation it would ruin him. As it was, he couldn't help but watch her when he was certain she wasn't looking. 'Damn it! Why a human? Why now?' He couldn't find answers to these questions.

After that, the days were easy, when Kagome was away at school and the house was quiet. Even jiichan left him alone now as Sesshomaru spent the time sitting quietly in the living room reading whatever he came across, whichever title suited his fancy on that particular day. Only the damned feline continued to pester him, and he was becoming accustomed to it by now. For some bizarre reason, the damnable cat liked him, and when he kicked it, it thought he was playing and attacked his foot. It was doing so now. Occasionally he would give it a light kick to make it think he was playing along because it kept the irritating creature away from his tail, which was currently lying in a comfortable heap beside him as he flipped through the pages of his current reading material, some story about a married woman who falls in love with a soldier. He colored a bit at the detail given the…ahem…intimate scene he was currently reading and quickly shoved the book under the sofa pillow when the front door opened.

He willed the slight color from his cheeks as Kagome entered, kicked off her shoes, and fell against the chair with a sigh. Tests were exhausting. A whole week of them—just plain cruel.

Thump Thump Thump. The youkai demanded that his heart shut the hell up. "Kagome?" he asked after just the slightest hesitation.

"Right. Food…" Kagome groaned and pushed to her feet, blinking when she realized, rather absentmindedly, Sesshomaru was playing with the cat. She blinked a few more times to be certain she wasn't seeing things.

"You are tired," he stated.

"No kidding," she replied dryly.

"I will make the food," he stated.

"But your hand…"

He frowned at her. "It is healed. I am not a human," he reminded. He was lying though, a bit, his hand was still sore, but it was well enough to make a simple sandwich, he hoped.

Kagome sighed. He was being stubborn and she didn't dare argue, mostly because she was too tired. Well, this was the last of them, at least. Inuyasha would come to get her soon, and then everything could go back to normal.

---

In the kitchen, Sesshomaru fought with the little twist tie on the bread, dug through the fridge for something to put on it—where was that stuff he liked—this one that was orange, and the pink, wettish one…aha! Ow! A slight wince. If Inuyasha could see him now—well, quite frankly, he'd laugh his ass off.

"Kagome. Food," he stated from the doorway to the living room. When the girl entered, she couldn't repress a laugh. "Those are some big sandwiches," she smiled.

He frowned slightly. She was teasing him. Yes, she looked cute doing it, but still!

Thump Thump. He yelled at his blasted heart again—not out loud, of course. 'Damn it Inuyasha! Hurry up and get here! I can't take much more of this!' his mind demanded irrationally as his hormones went to spiraling once again.

Yes, it was the evenings, the nights, that were difficult, when Kagome was close by and he could smell the sweet scent of her thickly. He was Sesshomaru of the Western Lands! This was ridiculous! But also, in addition to that…

He was only a man, and a man needed love, and release, and succumbing to neither was maddening! He feared the worst, for her sake. He was a demon. The animal in him _would_ take over if he was not separated from her and this strange desire soon.

Kagome glanced at him occasionally while they ate. He was lost somewhere in his own mind again, frowning thoughtfully. 'He looks cute like that.' He did. No point denying it. In little time at all it had become easy to distinguish tiny shifts in expression, but she knew that in almost no time at all they would be enemies again. That filled her with a bit of sadness that she couldn't explain.

As she got rid of the plates and cleaned the dishes, she said, "Inuyasha will probably come tomorrow." 'And he's going to be ticked that I lost my shards,' she thought.

"yes," Sesshomaru answered because he realized he was supposed to say something.

"Well, we've been together all week and didn't kill one another. We should do something to celebrate!" she said cheerfully to cover the strange mood of not really wanting to end this insanity just yet. "Somewhere without a lot of people, obviously. Hmm…Ah, I know! I can take you to my favorite place. It's sort of my secret place, but, since you're going back to your own time, it's okay."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened marginally, and he nodded, feeling stupid. 'Hurry, Inuyasha. Rescue this stunning woman from me, before I do something that cannot be taken back.'

**End Chapter**

A/N: Am I evil? Yes I am, but at least I'm updating! (Quite the feat for me! Heh.) I know I'm leaving off with another cliffy, but I really wanted to make the next part separate from this, so it can't be helped. Will try to write more very soon! B.P.


	7. Chapter Five: First Date

A/N: Well, so much for not making everyone wait, but this is still an improvement on the usual. I'd like to thank my reviewers…and also ask what fool asks for a lemon on Though I do often write two versions of a story, one with and without a lemon, the clean one for and the lemon for mediaminer (which got me in a little trouble when I downloaded the wrong one here once (oops!), if you're reading for lemons at you're reading in the wrong place! Yeesh. Sorry, wanted to get that out of my system.

I want to thank all my reviewers again, as impatient as you are. I've got little time for this sort of thing anymore, so it can't be helped. In truth, the current run of fics I'm working on will most likely be my last. I promise to finish them though, so don't worry about that, you'll just have to be patient with me in the process. I'm squeezing them in where I can. Plus I'm having issues with my floppy drive, and since I type most of these at work, but have no internet there, the fact that my home computer doesn't want to read the disks is an issue. CD-RW is quickly becoming my new god, even if it is a bit extraneous for three pages of text.

Anyway, sorry for the wait, but it can't be helped, and here's another chapter.

**I Will Wait**

**Chapter Five: First Date**

**By: BansheePuppet**

Evening, and a pleasant one at that. The moon was low and large in the sky. A light jacket was enough to fight the moderate breeze. Sesshomaru was comforted by the heavy weight of yukata and sash He'd been so on edge lately that even the comfortable weight of his usual garments was soothing. He flexed his hand carefully. There was still a strain, but it was well-enough to make some moderate use of.

Kagome made her way downstairs in a simple pair of jeans and a sweater set. She'd pulled her hair back into a ponytail and gestured for him to wait a moment while she went into the kitchen to get a picnic basket she'd made earlier that day.

He took the moment to clear his mind and strengthen his resolve. She had that shiny stuff on her lips again and he wanted to know if it tasted good as he couldn't imagine another reason for it, except that it drew his attention to them and peaked his curiosity—and he was curious enough about her already, and the sweater set was cut into a deep U, and he was fairly-well-taller than the miko, which gave him a deep view of cleavage. He pulled his eyes away and walked quietly beside her. He had a strong desire in him and didn't know how long he could hold out as it was, without the miko wearing things that gave him his fair share of improper ideas.

Kagome led him quietly through the park. A secluded path led to a larger and wild garden and in the distance, nestled against a mountain, sat a mansion surrounded by forest on three sides.

Kagome let out a content little sigh and settled down in the cool grass beside an old oak tree. "This is it," she said. "My secret place."

"It is pleasant," Sesshomaru replied, taking a seat beside her. The scent of her hair tickled his nostrils as it wafted by on the wind. Kagome started giggling for seemingly no reason. It disturbed Sesshomaru a bit and he quirked an elegant brow at her.

"Gomen!" she apologized. "I was just thinking it's nice to not have to explain. Inuyasha would complain that there's nothing special about it, it's only a stupid meadow, and start yanking me off some more. It's just nice to slow down once in a while."

Sesshomaru gave a vague nod. He didn't mind that the miko talked a lot. She wasn't pressing him to say anything in reply as much as thinking aloud. "I like it here though, and I like that house. I'd like to live somewhere like that someday, away from everything except the absolute most important things. Well, it's impractical though. Bringing the groceries home would be a pain, but I still think it would probably be worth it."

A long and comfortable silence passed between them as they sat eating sandwiches and drinking canned tea. Again, the word that came to Sesshomaru's mind most readily was 'pleasant'. He stared off in the distance at the house. 'Would that I could be the man to give her that gift,' he thought. 'And would that I were the man who could live beside her in it—but a demon cannot live in this world.' He wasn't sure when it stopped mattering that Kagome was human and he was not. Well it was probably around the time that he realized the entire affair was hopeless from the start. He was a stoic man, but not characteristically depressed, just proud—right now though, he was feeling quite down over the entire mess.

In one of those bizarre moments of kismet, the two time travelers looked at one another, golded eyes locking onto cobalt. Sesshomaru unconsciously moistened his lips when he saw the lip gloss Kagome wore glistening under the moonlight. And also unconsciously, he leaned forward.

Kagome's heart began thundering in her chest. What was that look in the demon's eyes? It frightend her, but also, she found it strangely exciting. She couldn't tear her eyes away, afraid to even breathe wrong and break the spell.

Closer. Closer. His mind didn't know what his body was doing. If it did, he would most certainly have turned away, but the animal in him was overpowering his senses. Well, no, it wasn't the animal precisely, the animal would simply have pounced her and been done with the entire affair—this overpowered even those base instincts. Closer. He could feel their breath tangling together. His handrested on her bicept, causing a shiver to pass through her body. He could hear her racing heartbeat. Yes, his body knew what it was doing, leaning down his head, neck tilting slightly to the left and…

Quite suddenly the demon leapt to his feet. Well, that was disappointing. Kagome blinked a few times and then blushed, realizing what they had almost allowed to happen. Well, at least Sesshomaru had come to his senses—or had he? Currently the inuyoukai was tearing through the foliage like Inuyasha sometimes did, looking for a scent.

He'd know that scent anywhere! He couldn't quite place it, bu he knew it to be the scent of another inuyoukai—and someone that he knew quite well. He couldn't put a face to it, but scents never lie, a male youkai—and whoever it was, they were gone now, leaving only a shadow of that strong scent behind them. He growled under his breath. Coward.

"Sesshomaru?"

Another sudden realization as he heard the woman's voice—a demon, he had sensed a demon! 'Then I too could possibly…' "It's nothing," he said. "Just a rat."

"Ah, then…won't you sit back down and finish your tea?"

The youkai nodded and eased back down, only now realizing the more obvious thing. 'I nearly just kissed this woman and…' In truth, he didn't know where to go with that 'and' at this point in time, so he just drank the cold tea instead.

The demon smirked slightly, pale hair falling into golden eyes. "He almost caught me. I must be getting old," he mused.

"Aiieee!" the little imp came running. "Sesshomaru-sama! Jaken was worried! You so rarely go outside." The green demon fell flat on his face. He was bordering on ancient and as Sesshomaru watched him disinterestedly, he didn't suspect the imp would last another winter.

"She will return to me soon, Jaken. A year, perhaps two."

It took a bit for the senile imp, looking more and more like a toad as the years crawled by, to understand. "Ah! The miko! It has been many centuries since we last saw her."

Sesshomaru nodded vaguely, sitting in his usual chair and resting his head in his hand thoughtfully. "It will not be much longer now," he said. "I have learned patience, and I can wait."

(End of Chapter)


	8. Chapter Six: Longing and Desire

**New, Improved and in actual paragraph format! I swear this site hates me...**

A/N: Once again, the reason for making you wait is being too lazy to type. Heh. This has been written for a while, but I was just like 'hmm….typing, or FFV…' Sorry guys, FFV won out. I hope to write (and type) the next chapter soon.

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

**Chapter Six: Longing and Desire**

'I've dreamed of her again.'

Sesshomaru looked out the window at the panoramic view of the Western Lands—_his_ lands. These days he always awoke with longing. He never wanted…love. It was a hard enough word for him to think, let alone say, but he found that the longer he was away from her, the stronger the ache in his chest became. Even the servants noticed his strangeness. He was cranky and would get irritable and snap at people for no reason. Yesterday, he'd even yelled at Rin for something as trivial as not finishing her supper.

'This has to stop.' The thought echoed aimlessly through his still groggy mind. It wasn't yet dawn as he dressed, leaving his armor behind for sake of stealth. He knew the rest of the house would yet be in slumber as he padded lightly through the halls with Toukjin and Tenseiga at his side. He gave pause at the human child's room and looked in on her, happily curled under the covers. She would be devastated when she found him gone without a word, but he _had_ to go. He needed to see her or he'd go mad—and the thought of slinking away to do so—that was a madness of its own. "I will see you again," he wispered to the slumbering child before moving further along, away from his home. He had to see her again, just _had to_—instinct bordering on insanity. If only he could catch a glimpse of her, he felt, he could be at peace, at least for a little while. Just a glance and then he would return. Perhaps, if he was seen, he would bother Inuyasha about the Tetsusaiga again. He didn't really want it anymore, but he couldn't accept his true purpose being discovered.

The memory of Kagome's world left a lingering echo in his chest as well. When her purpose was complete, would she return, could he live in such a cluttered world? But he was getting ahead of himself again.

'Kagome, what have you done to me? You've made me strange.'

It was a beautiful day. Kagome stretched her legs out in front of her. Since they'd gotten back the shards she'd lost plus three more in less than a month, even Inuyasha didn't complain much when the others demanded a day off. The miko let her mind wander. It was March, and though the winter had been mild, it was a relief to know the snow was gone and the flowers once again in bloom.

It had been five months since Sesshomaru had fallen thorugh the well with her and she couldn't help but wonder what he was up to, as she'd been left with many fond memories of his short stay, as troublesome as it all had seemed at the time.

"Kagome."

"Oh, Miroku. Is it time to go already?" she asked, blinking out of her thoughts.

The monk shook his head. "Not it's just that Inuyasha and Sango are doing that staring back and forth at each other as if no one notices thing again. She looks up, he looks away, you know, _that_ thing. It's making me dizzy so I thought I'd sit here and talk with someone sane."

"Only if you promise no groping!" Kagome chirped playfully.

Miroku's hand twitched. "Kagome! Really, I'm insulted!"

"Uh huh."

"Anyway, you looked deep in thought just now. What's on your mind?"

"It won't be much longer, will it?" Kagome replied. "We've got nearly all the shards collected. Ours, Naraku's, Kouga's…there probably aren't many more than that."

"Mn," Miroku nodded. "It seems things are coming to an end rather quickly. You'll get to go home soon."

"…yeah," the miko sighed. She should be happy to return to a normal life, and yet, there is so much that she would be leaving behind, so many wonderful memories and good friends. She didn't know that within the thick layer of trees, the youkai was watching, empathizing with her. She didn't belong in either world, she'd told him once. She didn't want to trouble her friends with such thoughts, but he could sense the worry in the miko's eyes. He'd intended only a glance, but now that she was before him, he couldn't tear his eyes away.

The monk beside her nodded and, much to Sesshomaru's rage, touched the girl's rear. He had an instinct to jump out and kill the mortal that was only thwarted by the swift slap the woman had given him, sending him sprawling into the lake. "I told you no groping!" she protested.

"Kagome." Sesshomaru breathed her name. She was so much more radiant in reality than in memory or intangible dreams, and he found his irrational desire to hold her…to have her, had grown stronger and settled not in his chest, but deep down in his belly somewhere, as if the most secluded part of him simply could not exist without her. But she was only human, just a simple human woman. 'What is wrong with me?'

He was standing behind a tree spying on a human. It didn't make sense. 'I am being ridiculous!' He had almost just killed the lecherous monk for behaving in the way that was most expected of him. Kagome didn't belong to the youkai, he had no right to get angry, even if he wished otherwise was true.

Miroku rose after a long pause, rubbing his cheek, ringing out his robes, and good-naturedly muttering something about going to talk with Shippo.

Sesshomaru righted himself. He would simply speak to the human. If he had a definitive reply from her, he might be able to attain some peace of mind. He emerged from the foliage and stared at her for a long while across the lake until she looked up in surprise when she saw him there. "Sesshomaru." She blinked, remembering all too clearly watching his broad shoulders disappear from view as she felt quite distinctly that there was something more that needed to be said between them, and an echo of that strange moment under the moonlight left a hollow, questioning echo in the back of her mind.

With easy grace, the youkai leapt over the body of water. Instinctively, as if something in Sesshomaru's measured stride was connected directly to her posture, Kagome roe to her feet . A long moment of thundering silence passed between them. "It's been a while," she said to break it. "How are you?"

How should he answer that question? How was he? Mad. Quite out of his mind to be even considering this, though he hardly cared as he looked into the eyes of the woman he adored. Yes, he was quite insane. Of that much, at least, the Lord of the West was certain. Rather than say this, he chose instead not to answer her at all.

"I need to speak with you," he stated.

"Ah…yes?"

"Not here," he replied knowing Inuyasha and the fox kit, and those two other humans were not far off. He did not want to be interrupted before he had his answer. He also had trouble believing that he was actually doing this, being so forward, and also so…energized…just by the presence of this human girl, but…she was different, radiant, she glowed.

Meekly, and lost in that determined golden gaze, the miko nodded.

"Eep!" Kagome squeaked, the demon hovering over her like a bad habit, and she wondered how it had ended up like this, or how a man had any business being so beautiful...

Sesshomaru found his throat quite dry and licked his lips unconsciously. The miko stepped back only to bump into a tree. That look in his eyes was misty and unsettling.

"Kagome." His voice was slightly husky. He listend to her pulse thundering just beneath the layers of pale skin and found himself pressing his lips against her throat as if it would allow him to swallow that delicious sound, inhaling the soft scent of her ebon hair, licking lightly at that thundering pulse.

His mind screamed at him. 'What are you doing! This wasn't part of the plan! We were supposed to TALK about this!' But his lips savored the saltiness of her slender throat, traveled up to her jaw, along her chin. His fingers came up to run through her hair. "Kagome," he breathed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

'What is he…?' Mayday! Mayday! Danger! Her mind screamed at her and flashed a multitude of hazard lights in case she didn't recognized that this was dangerous all on her own. Sesshomaru was a dangerous man—king, but dangerous, so knowing this, why were her fingers curling against his strong shoulders? Why was she allowing his gentle kisses to take her breath away?

"Se-sesshomaru?" she asked unsteadily, her body shivering under his gentle caress and a small amount of fear.

Longing—that had been the look she had seen in his eyes so many times, longing and desire. 'For me? That's just not possible!'

But as she thought it, his lips found hers and descended firmly upon them. 'Omigod!' her brain panicked as she gasped against his mouth.

Hungrily the demon suckled her lower lip, then her upper, before he was able to pull away from the drunken sensation and parted from her. "Gomennasai." It was a muted whisper as he looked off into the distance, ashamed of his lack of control. "I really did intend only to speak with you."

Blinking, Kagome brought her fingers to her lips, stunned into silence for a long moment. "I…I'm listening," she finally managed to say. 'Did he just apologize? Sesshomaru?' It was unheard of.

Ah but then what should he say, now that he had her attention. And how should he say it?

"Since entering your time, I have thought much about this. I will live many years, likely into that noisy era, to which you will eventually return. For a woman who does not fully belong in either this time, or the time of the future…who then is better suited to you than I am?"

She'd never seen the Western lord look so nervous! His posture just screamed, 'I'm not sure about this' or 'this may be a bad idea'. It was cute, to be quite frank about it, though she knew better than to say so.

'Is he saying what I think he's saying? He wants to be my boyfriend? Sesshomaru?'

"Are you saying…"

"I can live in your world, Kagome. I am certain of it. I will survive to meet you again. If you can accept my feelings," he said, locking her gaze earnestly, with a simple honest in his eyes that she had never seen the likes of before, "then I will wait for your return to my side."

"Sesshomaru, but…that's ridiculous! It's HUNDREDSof years!" the miko protested.

"I am patient," he insisted stubbornly. Now there's a much more familiar Sesshomaru. This one was easier to deal with. "I will be quite old by that time I suppose, even by the standards of a youkai. Does it disgust you, trying to imagine yourself with such an old man?"

Kagome blushed and shook her head. "It…doesn't disgust me. I'm just surprised…and flattered."

Her tone was not one of excitement, and the way she spoke caused a sinking feeling in Sesshomaru's chest. "But you do not feel the same," he said in understanding. He wanted her terribly, but if his feelings weren't reciprocated even he couldn't force that to change.

"I…well," Kagome hedged. She had never considered it. Sesshomaru, lord of the Western Lands, and _her_? It was too left field. She thought back to their time together. "I'll admit to an attraction," she said at length. "But I don't know. It just seems…odd—like one of those dreams that make so little sense that you wake up wondering what's real."

She was so frank that he couldn't help a bit of gentleness, a tiny, almost nonexistent smile, as he looked down upon her and rested his hand upon her cheek. "I assure you that I am quite real," he said. "This hand on your cheek is real, and that I grow mad when you are not near: this also is very much reality. And yet, I will give you time to…consider. But when we meet again, I will expect an answer from you."

What could she say? How should he answer? A phantom of his lips lingered on his skin and she felt like she had felt that same phantom a thousand times, in many long and complex dreams. Looking into his eyes, she felt like she'd been looking into them forever, lifetime after lifetime, and she didn't want to look away from them ever again.

"You want me to be you," she gulped a bit, "mate?" It was so difficult to get her mind around this idea.

"My mate, yes," he paused in that way that informed her that he intended to say more. He turned his gaze slowly to look upon her again with that strangely earnest gaze that caught her so very off guard. "And my lover," he said. "And my wife."

Mate. Lover. Wife. "What's the difference?" she mumbled before she realized she was speaking aloud.

"A mate is someone you breed with for the purpose of bearing pups," he elucidated, then reached up thoughtlessly to run his fingers through the dark strands of her hair. "A lover is someone you engage in intercourse with because you care for them and enjoy doing so." His hand cupped her cheek and with a strange uncertainty in his eyes he said, "a wife is someone who you wish to have by your side only, whose existence completes you. Who you…" his lips got stuck on the last word.

Around her parched throat, her thundering heartbeat, Kagome managed to help him. "…love?" she asked in a tiny voice.

He nodded gravely. "Yes, a wife is someone who you love."

"But, I'm a human, Sesshomaru."

He looked down and away from her as if that word was a deep wound—human. "I know," he answered at length. "Is that not all the more reason to believe that this is an honest confession?"

Hesitation. Confusion. Sorrow. "You are Kagome. Anything else that may be true I no longer care about." He let his hand drop then and turned on his heel as if to leave.

"I have heard it said that one's life is determined by the road they choose to walk, but many times I have found that there is only one road, as in the current situation, but I will not run from it. I will wait for you until the day I die, even if you never come. Please consider it before we meet again. If I am going to die alone, I would like to know in advance so I can prepare."

Kagome was confused but she knew Sesshomaru's words made her chest ache. In spite of his stern posture, his steady tone, he was suffering. Suffering, and also, she realized, walking away.

Her body sprung into action of its own accord, running the few steps it took to latch onto him from behind. She could feel the muscles tense in surprise and wondered where his armor was because it was better than thinking about the fact that she was currently embracing a very dangerous man.

"…Kagome?"

"Don't…don't get me wrong," the miko said, sending shivers of warm breath across his spine. "I'm not saying it's love, but for some reason, to me, the most painful thing in the world is watching your back as you walk away from me. So I…can't I just, you know, start as your girlfriend, or something? Like a test run?"

'Girlfriend?' he wondered. 'It must be something from her time.'

"What is this…girlfriend?"

"Well ah…it means we could spend time together…and talk…and we could," she gulped slightly, "embrace, and…kiss." Kagome blushed against his back.

'Ah, so she is giving me permission to court her. I see.'

"Please loosen your grip," the youkai stated.

"Ah! Gomen!" Kagome yelped and let go of him, flushing brightly.

Sesshomaru turned, mirth edging into his eyes at her startled and embarrassed expression as he lifted his hand to run his fingers through her hair once more before curling his arm lightly around her back. "I did not tell you to let go," he informed her in that clinical way he had, brushing his lips against a flushed cheek.

Tentatively, she gently hugged him back, and when he chose to 'seal the deal' with a soft kiss—she'd given him permission after all—she returned it carefully, like someone who lacked in practice. It was difficult for him to pull away from the endearing little gesture, which only made him want her all that much more.

The hunger in his eyes left Kagome feeling breathless. That someone would look that way at her was something her mind couldn't quite wrap around. Well, her mind couldn't wrap around much for a long instant. Sesshomaru was a really good kisser! She laughed at herself mentally for that.

"There is a harvest celebration next month in a village not far from the Western Lands. Both human and demon participate. Will you come?"

'He's…inviting me…?' "Like…a date?"

"Of course," he said, feeling he'd already made that much quite obvious. "It is an open celebration. You may bring your friends as long as you promise that I will have some time alone with you."

Now there was the self-assured Western Lord she'd grown to know over the years. "Ah…okay. I'll be there."

He offered Kagome a small smile, and as miniscule as it was, she knew it meant that he was excessively happy. It made her shiver a bit though—what a handsome expression! He looked even more gorgeous when he smiled, something she couldn't imagine to be possible.

"Then I will wait to see you again until that time. Close your eyes, Kagome."

She blinked, but did as she was told, and some long moments later, when she decided to peek and open them, she found he was gone. 'Because I told him it was painful to watch him walk away.' If the entire thing wasn't so emotionally exhausting, she probably would have squealed in delight at the gesture, but as it was, she slumped against the tree with a heavy exhale. 'He's actually very sweet, though he'd probably be insulted if I told him so. 'And this gorgeous and sweet man wants to be with _me_.'

'I will wait,' he'd told her. In the end, maybe that alone was her undoing.


	9. Chapter Seven: Three Small Words

A/N: Still not dead. Aren't you pleased?

Thanks for the reviews again, even though I'm an awful author who makes you wait forever for new chapters.

****

**I Will Wait**

**By: BansheePuppet**

**Chapter Seven: ThreeSmall Words**

_'There are things that have happened for which I am not to blame. I am the demon lord of the West, and yet, in your regard, only a man.'_

Sesshomaru leaned back against the pillows and stared at the ceiling for some time in thought before he felt the woman stir at his side.

"Do you regret it?" he asked blandly.

Kagome curled into a strong shoulder and sighed softly. "I only regret making you think that I might," she replied. She tugged herself up to kiss his jaw. "And I regret not telling you 'I love you' before we came this far. No, I don't regret 'it'—I don't think I could if I tried."

"Then I'm glad," Sesshomaru replied, mentally tracing backwards over the events that led to this moment, Kagome's bare breasts pressed against his ribcage as she curled against his, also bare body beneath the sheets, flesh to flesh with noting more between them but mutual love. He couldn't help but feel like they'd danced this dance before, really, but that didn't quite matter.

It had been early the previous evening, the night of the festival, and he'd dressed for the occasion, putting aside his armor for the evening in favor of black hakama and a matching silk top embroidered in silver and gold with a pattern of moon and stars. He had one of his servants tie his hair back into a ponytail.

The attire was befitting of a Lord at such an event, but he couldn't help wondering if it would be to Kagome's taste. He spoke politely with the village chief as he waited for her to arrive. He didn't remember the topic now—small talk—inconsequential and unimportant things that didn't particularly matter.

…and then he saw her. She was helping Miroku and Shippo push Inuyasha and Sango forcefully into a romantic boat ride. Both were protesting and blushing and he couldn't help but feel that teasing them was probably rather fun.

And Kagome looked stunning, of course. Her usual short-skirted clothing had been put away in favor of a sundress—white with large sunflowers spattered about randomly. The welcome committee had obviously gotten to her, as there was a floral wreathe in her hair.

"Excuse me," Sesshomaru told his company. "My date has arrived."

And said 'date' was currently being ogled as Miroku had gone off to buy food after enough of Shippo's pestering. Sesshomaru decided to make it rather obvious that she was NOT available. Call it a 'jealous' or 'overprotective' nature if you will, but whatever the reason, he approached her rather deliberately.

"Kagome."

She gave him a stunned look, followed by a shy smile.

He rather deliberately smiled back to make the point to her admirers.

"I…made it," Kagome told him, fidgeting a bit.

"Yes," he replied, tilting her chin up to kiss her fully on the mouth. It was a passionate kiss, primarily because he was unable to stop himself at a slight peck where the woman was involved. "You have," he finished, breathing against her lips.

Kagome found she was clinging lightly to his shirt, heart pounding at the strong kiss. Her cheeks were bright red and she was at a loss for what to say.

"Shall I buy you dinner first?" he asked matter-of-factly.

"Y-yes. I…um…you look really handsome," Kagome sputtered. 'Could I possibly sound more stupid?' the miko wondered as he took her hand and began leading her towards the food stands.

Sesshomaru gave her an enigmatic, miniscule smile and replied. "That dress suits you."

* * *

It was coincidence. Kouga grinned, excited. "Kago…!" His eyes widened when he saw none other than Sesshomaru approach her and all but inhale her face…and she seemed to like it.

In spite of himself, a slight choking sound cut off the rest of his word in his surprise. He was kind of frozen in place from shock. He'd thought Inuyasha was his competition. 'What the hell is going on!' his mind demanded to sort out the sudden confusion.

"It looks like we're both being left behind," a certain lecherous monk's voice said from behind him.

Kouga spun about to fine a shish-kabob being held out to him. Shippo had run off somewhere, so the monk saw no harm in giving his food away.

"Though I have to admit, even I'm a bit surprised that she picked Sesshomaru."

Kouga glared at the kabob he was now holding, for lack of adequate things to blame. Inuyasha was one thing, but he knew against Sesshomaru he didn't stand a chance of competing for Kagome's affections—they were completely different TYPES.

"Well," Miroku said with a shrug. "I guess there's no accounting for love."

Miroku had just been starting to fall for Sango when he noticed Sango and Inuyasha falling for one another. It was, perhaps, a strange couple, but he decided he wouldn't get in the way of it. It was more important to him that they were happy anyway, so he took up the roll of 'matchmaker' subtly, always giving them the 'alone time' they needed to finally admit their feelings until finally he saw no other option but to shove them on a boat together and instruct the boatman to 'not let them dock until they've stopped being stupid.'

Kouga sighed now, feeling a bit deflated. He sort of knew Kagome didn't like him, so it wasn't much of a shock in that regard, but he thought as long as there wasn't someone else that she liked, he had a chance of winning her over…so much for that.

"I saw a game where you shoot arrows at wooden ducks to win stupid prizes. Wanna try it?" he asked the monk. He needed a distraction, anyway.

"Hah. Sure. If I make a big enough fool of myself maybe I can get a cute girl to take pity on me and bear my child," Miroku joked.

"…idiot."

* * *

Sango was about to die of laughter. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, ringing out her ponytail as Inuyasha shook himself off. He didn't like being wet, but more importantly, Sango was laughing, and it somehow was contagious and addictive, but the frivolous mood was slowly giving way to the need to breathe as they sat in the grass side by side.

"I have to admit…that was kind of fun," Sango said, ringing out the bottom of her kimono.

Inuyasha was squeezing some excess water from his hair, ears twitching slightly. "I'm gonna kill that monk," he stated.

A long silence passed between them. "Sango, I…"

"Omigod! You two are soaked!" Kagome yelped as she nearly walked into them, hidden on the other side of a small hill. "What happened!"

Sesshomaru stood beside her, arm wrapped lightly around her back. They had eaten dinner and watched a short one-act play and were now about to go for a walk around the lake before the evening fireworks when the stumbled, quite literally, across a very startled, and very soaked pair.

"The boatman wouldn't let us dock and get off!" Inuyasha huffed irritably.

"So we swam to shore," Sango finished. "…after Inuyasha got made enough to capsize us, of course."

Long story short—Inuyasha got mad and stood up, knocking the boat over, so they 'made a swim for it' Typical story for him, no?

"More importantly, what are YOU doing with HIM, Kagome?" the hanyou demanded, glaring at his brother.

"Taking a walk," she tried. Explaining that she was DATING Sesshomaru would probably just cause headaches.

Of course, that didn't keep Sesshomaru—who rather enjoyed irritating his brother—from elucidating. "DATES are wont to do that sort of thing," he said.

"D-Date! You? Why would Kagome date YOU? She's too good for you!"

It had long since been established that Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship was similar to a sibling relationship—that is to say they usually irked one another to no end, but that was really just a way of showing that they cared. Seeing as Inuyasha hadn't had a proper family life growing up, now he'd become a bit overprotective of the miko.

"Don't be so mean!" Kagome protested, fighting the urge to use the 's' word. "Inuyasha I…I LIKE Sesshomaru…and he likes me, so I…please just accept that. I know you don't get along but…can't you just try? For my sake?"

"Che. Whatever. Go walk, stupid. If he hurts you I'm not gonna come to your rescue this time."

Kagome smiled at the hanyou. "Anyway, don't you have more important things to worry about than me right now?" she said, words laden with meaning, and Inuyasha flushed in reply and turned away to sulk.

"Take care of him Sango," Kagome chirped before pulling Sesshomaru along past them.

Sango blushed brightly at the implication. "Inuyasha…"

"Sango, I…oh, you first…"

Sango shook her head. "No, it's noting. Just…Kagome probably appreciates you not making a big deal, I guess."

"Che. What's there to make a big deal out of? What she does with who is her own business. It's not as if he's dating YOU," he said irritably, then blushed as he realized what he'd just given away. "Oh…shit…uh…I mean…"

Sango carefully placed her hand over his. "I'm glad…that it would annoy you," she said.

The dumbfounded look he gave her as he said her name only was priceless.

* * *

"Thank you," Kagome said. "For not fighting with Inuyasha this time," Kagome said.

Sesshomaru shrugged blandly. "I wouldn't have been able to concentrate anyway. He looked ridiculous. Besides, it would have irritated you. Our date is more important than my idiot brother."

He'd spent most of that short conversation with Inuyasha trying not to laugh at the wet dog look he was sporting, anyway, not that you'd ever be able to tell past Sesshomaru's 'bored stiff' expression.

* * *

Kouga wiped a few giddy tears from his eyes. He hadn't found anything this amusing in a while. "Miroku, you suck at this!" he laughed.

"Shut up. I'm a monk, not an archer," the monk complained as another arrow missed the target by about twenty feet. Still, for all his protests, it was fun, just goofing around with Kouga. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. "Fine smartass, YOU try it. I'll find some cute girls to give your prizes to."

"Pervert. Give me the bow."

* * *

In the end, they watched the fireworks from the lake. It was quiet and they sat together in the grass, Kagome leaning against his shoulder as they talked about meaningless things—school, Sota, Rin and Jaken, a certain sitcom Sesshomaru had become fond of over his short stay in Kagome's time…their relationship in the grander sense, what Kagome planned to do when she returned to the future, and of course, before the fireworks were over, Sesshomaru found himself kissing his 'girlfriend' again, tangling their tongues, wrapping his one arm around her tightly as if the thought of letting her go was too much of a burden to bear.

* * *

And somehow, that had led them here, to this moment—waking up late in the morning to his naked lover lying beside him, curled against him, telling him she shared his feelings.

"You'll really wait?" the miko asked innocently.

And Sesshomaru nodded. "I will," he replied before the moment was broken by a certain bundle of human child energy bounding into the room and pouncing his blanketed chest as Kagome yelped and hugged the blankets to cover herself.

"Rin has learned to cook eggs!" she announced. "Sesshomaru-sama missed breakfast though!...but Shippo-kun ate them with Rin and said they were very good!" she announced.

Why Shippo was here was something Kagome decided she wouldn't ask as she watched Sesshomaru continue to lay there with the girl sitting on his stomach, lazily allowing her to babble at him until she was done. She couldn't help but think he was going to be a very good father when they had their own children…someday.

_End Chapter_

A/N: I can't help but get the feeling my writing is actually getting worse…I'm starting to lose energy for some of my longer-standing projects, which means it's a good thing I haven't got far to go on them. Anyway, as I say every time I actually type and post a chapter, I have every intention of finishing this story…I'm just taking my sweet old time doing it. Heh. I won't say 'write another chapter soon' because at this point we all know I'm going to dawdle, so instead I'll say 'anxiously await the next installment!...which might not come for a while…' Well, I'll try to become inspired for the next chapter quickly, but I make no promises. I have too many projects happening at the moment, as usual.


	10. Chapter Eight: Only Time Will Tell

A/N: Okay, if I said I was swallowed whole by a man-eating octopus straight from the Hudson River and have spent the past god only knows how many months trying to escape its bowels and THAT'S the reason I haven't written anything new lately, would you believe me? From that expression you're giving your computer screen, I guess not.

Truthfully, no, an octopus didn't swallow me whole, but life sure did. Things have been a little hectic--as usual--and before I knew it, half-a-year's gone by. I do apologize for that and will make up for it by posting multiple chapters at once this time around.

Standard disclaimers still apply, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

_**Chapter Eight: Only Time Will Tell**_

Relationships, unfortunately, rarely come without complications—chock another one up to lessons learned the hard way. In spite of all confessions of love, in the last few years of the jewel hunt, Kagome and Sesshomaru didn't see much of one another. Though he might have liked to travel with and aid his love, he had duties of his own to attend to, and besides, he was really in no great rush for her task to be completed. It only meant that her time in the feudal era was increasingly short, and he became more nervous about what the coming centuries held in store for the demon races. 'I will survive,' he'd determined without too much circumstance, but he had a feeling that such a simple phrase would offer not half-so-simple an affair, and also, he knew it was going to be a very, very long wait.

'I can be patient,' he told himself and Kagome this many times, but five centuries was a long wait for even the most patient man. Even a few short months away from his miko put the Western Lord in a foul mood. He could only imagine what five centuries would do to his temperament.

"Sesshomaru-sama! I'm going to start preparing dinner. Will you eat tonight?" Rin asked, fastening back the sleeves of her kimono.

When had she started referring to herself in the first person, he wondered. Somehow he'd missed it along the way. But she was already ten years old now. He hardly remembered the time passing. 'Perhaps the time waiting for Kagome will go by so quickly,' he thought. It was wishful thinking and he knew it—only the times you want to last forever go by quickly.

Rin watched him as he failed to answer. He was thinking about Kagome again, she could tell—he always zoned out when he was feeling lonely. 'So predictable,' the girl thought. He'd probably already forgotten… "Do you think Kagome-san and her friends like yams? They're in season now."

Expectedly, Sesshomaru's eyes widened marginally and he looked up at the girl. "What time is it?" he asked.

Rin smiled. She knew he wasn't really asking the time. "They should be here in about two hours or so," she replied. "Yams?"

Sesshomaru stood. "I think she would enjoy that." That's right! Kagome had insisted they all get together for a meal in late October—something about giving thanks. Admittedly, Sesshomaru didn't understand the holiday quite as precisely as one might hope, but if Kagome was going to be here, he figured he had plenty to be thankful for.

Rin left the room when the youkai began what she'd secretly dubbed 'anxiety cleaning'.

"Jaken-sama! Are you busy? Can you help me in the kitchen?"

The imp blinked owlishly at Rin. "I was about to…" he gestured at Sesshomaru's room. He apparently had some business or other with the Western Lord, but it was not so important that he felt he had to finish the sentence at seeing a familiarly amused look in the human girl's eye.

"Oooh," she said. "Jaken-sama, he's doing THAT again, you'd better not interrupt him."

Jaken, apparently, felt no real desire to disagree and followed her down the hall.

---

Kagome was babbling, hands fluttering up to her hair every few minutes. She'd been like this since breakfast. Occasionally Inuyasha would bark at her to shut up, but by now had been 'sat' so many times that he settled for periodically grumbling to himself about how she'd been dating his brother long enough that she shouldn't be so nervous about seeing him.

"I think Inuyasha's just jealous that Sango doesn't moon over him like that anymore," Kouga announced, having made teasing the hanyou his latest hobby.

"Shut up, you stupid wolf!" Inuyasha retorted predictably. "You have no right to talk when you don't even have a woman! Why are you even here?"

Kouga latched onto Miroku's arm making a big display of puppy-dog eyes. " 'roku, he's being mean to me again!" he wailed comically.

"There, there," Miroku said with a comical sigh. "Don't let the silly pup hurt your feelings, Kou-kun. His bark is worse than his bite."

Kouga playfully stuck his tongue out at Inuysaha as if he'd just won some fight. He couldn't help himself, he liked messing with Inuyasha even more now that he'd gotten Miroku to play along. It was their own little private game.

"Keep your little perversion to yourselves, idiots!" Inuyasha snapped.

Miroku and Kouga, clowns that they were of late, couldn't help themselves, staring at each other doe-eyed, the prior said "honey…" and the latter, "yes darling?"

Sango sighed. "Let them get it out of their system now before we arrive at your brother's, Inuyasha."

A few grumbles later, Inuyasha digressed and the pair of troublemakers stopped their hijinks at his expense.

Before much longer, Sesshomaru's mansion came into view and Shippo went running when he saw Rin on the porch. She was his favorite playmate, after all, and he didn't get to see her often.

Rin did no better, calling out her friend's name and darting away from Sesshomaru who, having caught Kagome's scent, emerged from the house to greet her…and those people she was with too, not that he really cared about THEM—it was just polite. It had nothing to do with the fact that Kagome was terrifying when she was mad. What ever would give you THAT idea?

"It's been a while," the Western Lord said. "Come inside." His words were said to everyone, but meant only for Kagome. They all know it, but at least he was making the effort as he slipped his fingers around Kagome's much smaller hand. The others followed Jaken inside, knowing the pair would probably just stand there staring at one another for some minutes before they realized they were doing it. Such was the case today as they forgot all about holidays and company and after the appropriate amount of time, embraced, and shared a few small kisses.

"The hunt for the shards is going well?" Sesshomaru asked finally.

Kagome nodded in reply. "It probably wont be much longer now."

An extended silence passed between them, the implication heavy. It wasn't like either of them expected her to be able to stay once the task was completed.

Wordlessly, Sesshomaru pulled the woman against his chest.

"Are you really going to be there?" Kagome asked sullenly, "waiting for me on the other side of the well?"

"I will be there," he assured her, but they both knew the more honest answer to such a question was 'only time will tell what the future holds.'

The passage of time alone knew what trials lay ahead.

(End Chapter)

A/N: Well for those of you enjoying or otherwise curious about the backdrop of this little love story, I'd like to say that I've purposely left the nature of Miroku and Kouga's 'relationship' vague so that you, the reader, can decide for yourself what you feel is or is not between them. Option #1 is that they are very good friends. Option #2 is for all you shonen ai fans out there, that they are "more than friends". I have no real preference for one over the other and it doesn't change the basic story either way, so please fell free to read it however you see fit.

More to come…types


	11. Chapter Nine: On the Other Side of Time

Installation #2 of the mass-upload process.

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

_**Chapter Nine: On the Other Side of Time**_

Another season had come and gone and it was springtime once again. Mitsuki had opened the windows to air the old mansion out and was helping the man slip into a light jacket. "Are you certain you'll be alright on your own, sir?" she asked. "You do have a bit of a tendency towards getting lost."

"It will be fine," he replied. "I couldn't forget my way to this particular place after ten-thousand years."

"Don't forget your cell phone," she said, tucking it into his breast pocket. "Just in case."

He made a scoffing noise. "I hate that silly thing. Don't call unless it's an emergency, the anime ring tone you programmed into it is annoying."

"If it wasn't annoying you wouldn't answer it."

"I'm going to be late," he said. "Close some of the windows before it gets too cold."

---

Things always seem smaller than the way you remember them. The Higurashi shrine was no different. He stared at the front door of Kagome's home for some time before finally knocking. When Mrs. Higurashi answered, he couldn't help but wonder if she was always so very small.

The woman blinked at him a few times before recognition struck her. "Oh my! Sesshomaru-san! Come in! I hardly recognized you! You look so different!"

"I was…much younger the last time you saw me."

"Yes, so I see…such short hair, and where in the world is your tail?"

"I lost it somewhere along the way," he answered cryptically. 'In the war,' he thought. 'That blasted, pointless war.'

He hoped Kagome wouldn't be appalled by his appearance; he knew how much he had changed over the years. 'It's fine,' he thought. 'She loves me…right?'

"Well, what brings you here? Shall I make you some tea?"

"Actually, I'm expecting Kagome to return today. I'm afraid I don't know exactly what time. I hoped you might allow me to wait her for her."

The woman smiled knowingly. "You're always welcome, whether to wait for Kagome, or just to visit. Please, have a seat," she said, setting a cup of tea before him in a way that oddly reminded him of his first visit to the modern age so long ago, when Kagome had done the same. Except…this time the demon felt like he was the one who had a lot of explaining to do.

"How long as it been for you, since you were last here, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru exhaled a long breath. "For me?...Far too long." The details confused, the phrases jumbled. There was no point in explaining too fully--it was a long and drawn-out affair. "But I believe for you, we met two years ago. I was…much less patient back then."

"And quite infatuated with my daughter," she observed. "But I suppose that much is still true or you wouldn't be here."

"That would be a reasonable assumption."

(End Chapter)


	12. Chapter Ten: Eternal

A/N: Aaroyle, to each their own. Personally, I'm a fan of het, yaoi, and yuri, as long as the story is well-written and entertains me. But then again, I've always been a firm believer that you can't help who you love. But I digress, that little rant in Ch. 8(?) was primarily there because I noticed while writing that it could easily be ready either way, depending on the reader's preference. I decided to note the fact that yes, I do understand that, and no, I don't particularly care which reading you prefer, whichever brings you more enjoyment from the story, really shrugs. It was just an aside and not really meant to be given any serious thought. Kouga, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Sango are all very minor characters in IWW, their interactions in this story are really little more than me playing a tithe to AFH, which made quite a bit more use of them.

Standard disclaimers, blah blah.

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

_**Chapter Ten: Eternal**_

The thing about life: right when you think you've got everything figured out, it throws you for a loop.

Kagome thought gathering all of the shikon shards would bring things to some kind of resolution, some sort of peaceful denouement where things fade where things fade to close with a melancholy, yet hopeful, whisper, but what things ended on was bloodshed, war, destruction.

Defeating Naraku, no easy task in its own right, released the many demons that had made him up for fifty years or more…and they were fairly well pissed off. The shikon jewel was like a homing beacon for the demons, and so very much had happened that in the end, Kagome had been forced to give it to Shippo in hopes that the kit would be able to get it to Inuyasha on the battlefield while she, elsewhere, tried to deliver Sango's baby. She could only pray that the men and Kaede were able to do what they always did and save the day.

A bright flash of light and a child's cry were the last images of the feudal era the miko was permitted to have though. In her mind, she'd always imagined embracing her lover softly, bidding her friends a tearful farewell—but the reality was a much harsher affair, and she found herself blinking up at the roof of the well-house through tear-blurred eyes. Sesshomaru would return to her? She couldn't even guarantee he'd survived the battle, and what about Inuyasha and Sango and the baby, and Miroku, and Kouga—what about poor little Shippo, and Rin? She might never know what happened to any of them.

Kagome buried her face in her hands for some minutes and sobbed relentlessly until she managed enough steadiness to climb out of the well, no longer connected to the feudal realm by the Shikon jewel, nor by any lingering power she might have had as a miko.

"Mamma, I'm home," she said dejectedly, voice dry as she entered the Higurashi house.

Sesshomaru's shoulders tensed a bit in nervous anticipation. 'Kagome…' She really _was_ back, and she'd been crying. He supposed he understood why. He remembered returning from the battle, looking to Sango for Kagome's whereabouts, finding her gone. Even knowing the day would come offered little to no solace. The next few years were a blur of grief—he couldn't be sure what had happened, or where, or when. It was another battle, another war, that had finally knocked the sense back into him. That's right—they would meet again—he still had that promise to keep, that moment to look forward to.

And now, nudged on by Mrs. Higurashi, he understood the moment of their reunion had finally arrived. Kagome's mother made a shooing gesture at the nervous youkai, perhaps too understanding for her own good. "You get out there and welcome her home," she told him. "Or I'll change my mind about letting you come visit."

Sesshomaru felt that in all the years of his long life, he had never been more anxious about anything. He stared at the archway between the kitchen and living room for a long moment before stepping through it at last.

Time seemed to freeze when Kagome looked up to fine him there. To look at him, she understood fully just how long the years had been between then and now. His tail was gone, hair cut short, though longer layers on top ruffled forwards to occasionally fall in his eyes, and though his golden optics were still as enchanting as ever, slight creases of age formed at the edges of them. He'd become somewhat distinguished, though she found him to be just as beautiful as he ever was.

After only the slightest pause of surprise, Kagome ran forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her love. Unable to form any real words, she cried. She cried for Sesshomaru waiting five hundred long years for her to return, and for Sango's baby who was born on a battlefield, for all of her friends who anything could have become of for all she knew, and for herself, who the past had rejected and the future had yet to know. And also, she cried for happiness, for the joy she felt in finding that Sesshomaru had kept his promise, for the warm, strong arm around her shoulders…for knowing the worst was over and their lives together about to begin anew. When she finished with tears, she led him to sit on the couch with her. "Tell me?" she asked, "all that's happened to everyone."

"That," Sesshomaru responded, "is a very long story."

The hours waned on as the inuyoukai spoke more than he had in…probably his entire life, really, dulcet tones soothing her somehow through the story. He related that everyone survived the battle. Inuyasha, in the end, had chosen to become human so his child could have a normal life. Shippo and Rin eventually wed, and some time later, their son married Inuyasha and Sango's grandchild. Miroku never _did_ find a woman to bear his child, but he seemed content enough with the curse on his hand gone to not pursue it too much and behave as a normal monk, though Sesshomaru felt his more lecherous habits lasted out his life…much to Inuyasha's aggravation. Eventually the monk rather by accident adopted a young hanyou, though his own age was quite advanced at this time, so Kouga helped him care for the boy and took on the job on his own when the monk passed away. The two had actually stayed in Sesshomaru's home for a time after the monk's passing, as the temple Miroku had called his home was given to another member of the service who didn't look very kindly on demons of any kind. But eventually, the twentieth century arrived, and with it the second World War. Sesshomaru and spent those years in African seeing as it seemed about as safe a place as there was at the time, and besides, he had no real desire to get involved in human conflicts. That perspective saved his life in the end, as the atomic weapons that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki decimated the demon race across the entire island of Japan—demons being, apparently, far more vulnerable to the radiation even than humans were. His tail? Oh, that had been lost in a much earlier war when his lands were stolen from right beneath him! (which, by the way, he still appeared to be rather irate about) And Jaken, he'd remained by Sesshomaru's side until this past winter, when old age had finally claimed him rather peacefully in his sleep.

All in all, for such a long history, it seemed as if everyone had gotten their small share of happiness. And now, Kagome understood, finally, it was their turn. She rested her head against the youkai's shoulder. It was only a short while for her since she'd been in his arms, but it felt like ages; she could only imagine what it must be like for him.

"I have a gift for you," he said after a stretch of silence.

Kagome lifted her head and sat up. "A gift?" she asked. Sesshomaru wasn't the type for random presents, so she was intrigued, what could it be? Her heart thundered in her chest when he placed a black velveteen ring box in her hand.

"If you'll have it," he said.

She didn't realize she was holding her breath as she let the box snap open, revealing a lovely gold and diamond wedding band with the most peculiar pink stone at the center that looked suspiciously like the shikon jewel in minature. It was really little more than an unsually clear bit of rose quartz—not expensive by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a reminder of the past's trials and fond memories for both of them, and Kagome felt it was a lovely, perfect ring.

"Of course I'll accept it," Kagome exhaled, feeling on the verge of tears again. "Yes, absolutely." It was when she took the band from the box that she noticed the etched letters inside the band, a single word only, 'eternal'.

"Sesshomaru…" she said. It was so oddly romantic for him that she couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed and blush faintly.

He took the ring and slipped it onto her finger, daring himself to say words to her which had always been difficult for him, though he'd felt him just as earnestly now as he ever had. "This ring is only a symbol," he told her, "but as long as you wear it you will never be able to forget that I love you, very, very much."

Kagome threw her arms around the demon's neck and found herself crying again. "Then you'd better wear one too," she said. "So you won't forget either. I never want to let you go again."

"Gods and fate willing," he answered, embracing her again and taking in the familiar, peach blossom scent of her hair, "you won't have to."

(End Chapter)

A/N: Egads! Talk about a fluff-fest at the end! Well, we're almost there at long last folks! Just the Epilogue to go, and I'm uploading it right now.


	13. Epilogue: We Only Know So Much

A/N: And so, the fated moment has finally arrived. The epilogue to I will wait, and the final chapter of the 'Dreamweaver Arc' of fanfics. How long have I been writing this series? I don't even know, but it feels like a lifetime or longer. Kind of like bidding a fond adieu to an old friend, I have mixed feelings here. It's a relief that it's finally over…but at the same time, I think 'wow…it's…over.' It's kind of like watching the end of an Age. There will be no further sequels to this story. I think I've done enough. Finishing a few other stories and arcs will be taken care of next, and then, I will be taking a leave of absence from the lands of fanfiction to pursue other interests. Perhaps someday I shall return to it, but I do hope you've enjoyed the ride that this crazy little arc has taken you on.

Now, with standard disclaimers and no further adieu, I present the finale of my little tale…

**I Will Wait**

**By: Banshee Puppet**

_**Epilogue: We Only Know So Much**_

"Kagome! Kagome, come out to eat with us! We're going to do Karaoke after," Ayame said, giggling as she and their new college friends caught up with her after their history exam.

Kagome turned and offered her friends a bright, yet apologetic smile. In spite of all that had happened up to now, all the things she would never be able to forget, she was finally allowed to have a normal life. It was a relief, really.

"I'm sorry!" she clapped her hands together and bowed. She hardly ever went out with them anymore since the wedding. "My husband is picking me up today. We're going to a play and dinner for his birthday."

The girls squealed, not terribly disappointed—this was to be expected of a married woman after all, right? "I can't believe Kagome is really married," one of them said with a laugh. "Could you imagine being married at our age? It must be true love!" another teased. "Oooh, he's coming here? We want to meet this older man of yours!" Ayame insisted.

Kagome sweat-dropped, but right about then, Sesshomaru's black jaguar pulled to the curb. She didn't know why he liked such flashy cars so much—she thought when he'd traded in the Ferrari he would have bought something more subdued…but no such luck. This car was just as flashy as the last one. Well, she supposed she didn't mind it. It WAS a very cool car, after all. Anyway, that was all beside the point as the pale-haired man stepped out of the driver's side.

Kagome's friends, not realizing yet just who this was, squealed. "He's so hot!" "What an elegant older man!" "My god, even with only one arm he's soo cool!" Kagome blushed brighter at each comment, and before long, Sesshomaru was standing in front of her. "Ready to go?" he asked.

Kagome nodded, feeling quite embarrassed.

"Kagome?" her friends exclaimed.

"Er…ah…guys, this is my husband, Sesshomaru," she managed to say. Then to Sesshomaru she commented, "these are my friends Ayame, Miharu, and Chitose, from my History class."

Sesshomaru remembered to nod politely. Believe it or not Souta of all people had been trying to teach the demon to be a bit less brusque after he'd accidentally made the boy's girlfriend break into tears and couldn't figure out why. "Pleased to meet you," he said. "Kagome, if you want to change, we need to hurry."

"Right, see you tomorrow guys!" she waved and followed after the tall man.

Getting into the car, Kagome thought, as old as Sesshomaru was, there really was no telling which of them would outlive the other now. It made things oddly less complicated—almost like two humans trying to share their lives together, hoping not to be the one left behind. She figured that it was probably best that way anyway.

"The doctor called this afternoon," Sesshomaru said. "About your stomach aches."

Kagome looked up. That's right, she had been expecting that call any day now. She hoped it was nothing serious, but had a sinking suspicion about what it might be. "And?" she asked.

"You're going to have a baby," he said blandly, though she knew he'd probably been waiting anxiously to tell her since he'd heard the news, restraining himself from barging in on her test to inform her immediately. The mental image of that was one she found pretty amusing. Her eyes widened as the full brunt of it finally hit her. A baby, she was going to have a baby…_Sesshomaru's_ baby. "We're going to have a ba…OMIGOD!" she squealed. "We're having a baby!" It took her some long moments to calm down, and she tried not to point out the fact that her husband was smiling a bit more than slightly. "Any ideas for a name?" she asked, rather than comment on his facial expression for fear that it might change right before her eyes, and it was a wonderful expression, lips peeled back, the skin beside his eyes crinkling slightly. She resisted the urge to glomp…but only because he was driving.

"If it's a girl, then Rin," he replied. "I haven't thought much about boy's names yet."

Kagome laid her hand over her stomach, finally feeling like she was starting to get the hang of life, just a bit. We only know so much, but knowing that, our only real choice is to move forward into the future one step at a time…together. She had a feeling Sesshomaru felt the same.

_**The End**_


End file.
